New data show Idaho has low hospital readmission rate

BOISE – New federal data show that Idaho Medicare patients are among the least likely to return to the hospital after being treated for certain ailments.

The Idaho Statesman reports that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services shows that just 1 in 8 of more than 28,000 hospital admissions in Idaho resulted with patients returning for further care in 2015.

The only state with a lower readmission rate was Utah.

Insurers, including Medicare, are paying closer attention to hospital readmission rates as part of the national push to reduce the cost of health care and improve the quality of care.

Under the Affordable Care Act, hospitals are penalized for having too many patients return within 30 days after being treated for targeted conditions.